1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to boats and more particularly to a boat of the catamaran type having laterally extensible hulls.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that hull type and design is the primary factor which determines a boat's characteristics and those characteristics dictate the most efficient operating mode of a particular type of boat. For example, a flat bottom boat and a canoe have entirely different hull configurations, entirely different characteristics, and the efficient usages thereof are entirely different. Therefore, many basic boat designs have been developed to suit the various requirements of the various types of boat usages, and to the best of my knowledge, no prior art structure has been devised, or is readily adaptable for efficient operation in a plurality of such usages.
Boats of the catamaran type are well known for their desirable handling characteristics such as high speed operation, stability, and the like. Such boats often cannot be trailered due to the beam dimension thereof exceeding the legal limits relating to transporting over highways, and this same beam dimension often presents problems in dry land storage. In attempts to solve this problem, several devices have been devised to provide a catamaran boat with retractable hulls. In general, these prior art retractable hull catamarans are a two position structure, i.e., a retracted position for storage and trailering and an extended position for use in the water. Thus, these retractable hull catamarans have a single set of characteristics relating to water usage with the retractable feature being designed for solving a dry land problem. It is further believed that none of these prior art retractable hull catamarans are designed for or are capable of being retracted or extended while the boat is in the water to alter the characteristics of the boat.